Potty Training
Keep your puppy on a leash when they are not confined in a room or an x-pen, this is for their safety and for potty training. It can be a long leash that you can drop and easily reach when needed. Puppies will get into anything and everything they can get their mouths on, they are naturally curious and will test everything out by biting it (puppies really like charger cords so keep them out of reach) and if they have free roam of the house they will have accidents that are preventable. You will learn their potty cue’s a lot faster if they are always in your sight.
Control Food AND water, puppies will drink and drink more than they need. When their food and water is on a schedule it makes it much easier to figure out their potty schedule. Give them 15 minutes to eat and then you can pick up their bowl, offer them water and when they are done pick up the bowl and head outside to go potty.
Expect to take your puppy out on the hour during the day for the first few weeks, right after they wake up and after they eat or drink. It’s a good time to offer water, each hour they can have the opportunity to drink and then time to potty.
Treats and praise for going potty, use the same phrase that feels comfortable to you so your puppy begins to learn what it means. I use “go potty” and give the puppy 3 minutes to go, when they do offer praise and a treat! If your puppy has an accident that you didn’t notice as they were going I would not punish them, they forget quickly and wont understand. If you catch them in the act, I make a surprising noise like “Oh No!” pick the pup up and run outside, if they finish going outside give praise and a treat. I do this because it startles the puppy and makes a point that this is uncomfortable to potty inside, and they learn when they go outside they are rewarded.
Bell training, you just incorporate ringing the bell every time you open the door to take your puppy outside. It can take a few weeks for it to click. It’s a nice habit to alert the owner, we hear a ding and know the pup needs to go.
AviDog eBook potty training your puppy
Puppy Biting
Puppy biting is normal, it is how they play with other dogs and puppies are brand new so they test everything out in their environment the only way they can…with their mouths! Here is a good video with tips and tricks
Crate Training
Feed your puppy in the crate every time, give treats in their crate, give them a lick mat or a snuffle mat, a Kong that is filled with treats or food, and let them enjoy it in the crate with the door open for a bit, then you can shut the door for 10 to 30 seconds and then open the door again. Another thing to do during the day is toss a small treat in like a game and when they go in the crate tell them a word like “Crate” or “House” or “Bed” whatever feels right to you. The key is to make it a positive space for them where they feel safe, not a prison for punishment. The first week they may not sleep through the night, so expect to wake up at least once during the night. Say nothing to them when you take them out, let them potty, praise them and right back to the crate.